During Wednesday’s House Judiciary Committee hearing, Rep. Lucy McBath (D-GA) spoke about public safety challenges and funding in the proposed reconciliation package.
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00:00Domestic violence to shelters, protection for judges, better training and support for police officers,
00:08and rebuilding trust between law enforcement and our communities.
00:13These are just some of the things that we should be investing in to truly make America safer.
00:20This committee has a $110 billion budget to protect our nation.
00:27Instead of using it to support multiple agencies that handle safety, justice, and security,
00:35we're being asked to pour it all into just one agency,
00:40an agency that has been used to target and intimidate communities for this administration's political gain.
00:49That's not how we build real public safety.
00:53Meanwhile, our prisons, they're falling apart.
00:58Officers have come to my office and told me that pieces of their ceilings are literally falling on them as they work.
01:07Judges who face violent threats just for doing their jobs are left without enough protection.
01:16Just last Monday, a deputy in Texas was shot outside a courthouse.
01:23And did you know that it takes a victim of domestic violence, on average, seven tries before they escape their abuser?
01:33We should be using this funding to help these victims and strengthen the agencies that support them.
01:41Right now, we are facing major safety and health problems all across this country.
01:48Agencies like the FBI, ATF, Federal Bureau of Prisons, U.S. Marshals, and our court system all need resources to do their jobs and to keep people safe.
02:04Yes, criminals should be arrested, and they should receive their due process.
02:10But we also need to protect our judges, keep our prisons safe and functional, and support victims before the worst happens.
02:21This committee, and every one of us in here, in this committee, has the power to pass a bill that takes all of this into account.
02:34One that actually makes America safer for everyone, and safer for everyone in this room.
02:42But focusing all this money on just one agency and targeting one group of people doesn't do that.
02:54It's not what the American people deserve.
02:57And it's not the reason why you sent us here to represent and support your interests.
03:03We need a balanced, thoughtful approach to public safety.
03:09One that puts real protection and real justice first.
03:15Putting people over the partisan politics.
03:20And I yield back.